


Atlantica

by bukkunkun



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Animals, Falling In Love, Multi, Orca Trainer AU, Professional Merman AU, Romance, i'm terrible at this tagging game haha;;
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-30
Updated: 2014-11-09
Packaged: 2018-02-23 05:35:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2536058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bukkunkun/pseuds/bukkunkun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"A little strange to see you with legs."<br/>"A little strange to see you with <i>people</i>."</p><p>All Sora wanted was to be a merman and find his own happily ever after. All Riku wanted was to make sure his best friend managed to make it to the end of his. Somehow neither of them anticipated each other.</p><p> </p><p>  <strike>An Oceanarium AU where Riku is an Orca trainer and Sora is a Professional Merman. That's literally it why are you even reading this</strike></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue - Sora

**Author's Note:**

> so i planned this oceanarium AU while i was studying for plant physiology and bacterial systematics oh god you have no idea how garbage those subjects were like?????? w o w
> 
> also i just recently got around watching KH3D cutscenes and it was incredibly gay i loved it
> 
> anyway pls enjoy this it's actually my first KH fic that's been published haha;;;

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The earliest thing he can remember of Atlantica was huge smiles and colourful fish and sights and sounds—and his most favourite thing—mermaids._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part 1 of 2 initial upload (only because the prologue is a two-part thing where there's a sora side and a riku side because i'm garbage haha;;;;)

The first thing he remembered of the sea was how blue it was. How salty it was. How it stung his eyes more than it caressed them, how it crashed and tossed him around like he was nothing, and then cradling him like he was the whole world it carried delicately on its shoulders.

The earliest thing he can remember of Atlantica was huge smiles and colourful fish and sights and sounds—and his most favourite thing—mermaids.

The first time he held a mermaid’s hand he had been 7, visiting the mainland from his home, Destiny Islands, for the first time in his life with his parents and siblings. Atlantica was fairly new at the time, still not full of animals and still a little small, but still as magical as he thought it would be, oceanarium and all. The mermaid was smiling at him kindly, offering her hand out to him with a kindness that left him spellbound even as his small hand was cradled in hers as she asked his name.

He stumbled, dumbfounded more than shy, and let out a tiny garble of a “Sora…” to her.

She nodded, repeating his name like the small seashells rolling around on the beach, and that was that. Her story continued, just as he started his.

Ever since then he had always wanted to become a merperson.

Time passed and he was 17, an athlete; an excellent swimmer at the top of his class.

By the time he was 18 he had made the decision to make the move. He would be a merman, must like that beautiful, kind redhead woman with the iridescent tail and gentle smile and beautiful voice, and someday, maybe, he could have a story like hers.

Once upon a time, there was a young boy named Sora who believed he could be anything he wanted.

So he became a merman.

* * *

“How’d it go?” the blond asked, tone bored as he peered over the newspaper he was holding—and upon seeing the wide-grinning brunette his jaw dropped and he let go of his newspaper. “Oh, my _God_. Sora.”

“I got it,” Sora grinned brightly, holding up a shining blue cloth slung over his right arm, twinkling in the light of their apartment. “Roxas, _I got it_.”

“Lemme see,” Roxas demanded, stumbling over his feet to make his way over to his twin brother, picking up the cloth to inspect it in his hands—there it was, he realised, blinking as he turned it this way and that.

Sora’s tail.

He extended it to full length, spreading it as Sora nodded, grinning and bouncing excitedly as Roxas looked at the tail.

 “I’m starting training next week Monday. Are you gonna come with to watch?” he asked.

Roxas cast him a glance, seemingly considering it, but there was a quirk at the left side of his lips. The blond shrugged. “Yeah, might as well.” He shrugged, nonchalant, “The material looks good but I want to see it in action. I can make that thing _beautiful_ after I see you in it.”

Sora beamed at him brightly, and tackled him into a hug.

“Thanks, Roxas!” he cheered despite his brother’s protests. “Thank you so much!”

Roxas sighed exasperatedly. “Yeah, whatever,” he huffed, but he smiled softly over Sora’s shoulder. “Good for you, Sora.”

Sora pulled away from him, eyes wide with excitement, and Roxas knew he wasn’t going to get enough sleep that night with Sora this excited about something. It wasn’t a far guess to assume that Sora was probably going to want to swim in the tail as soon as later after dinner. He was beginning to calculate the public pool fee in his head as his twin squeezed his hands.

“I’m really happy, Roxas.” Sora said softly, as he always did when their moments had lulled into tender ones about fishes and swimming and merpeople, as he looked down at where their hands were both holding onto his tail. “I’ve always dreamed of this.”

Roxas merely smiled, and in a rare moment of tenderness, kissed his brother’s forehead.

“Good for you, Sora.” He repeated, smiling as he let go of Sora’s hand to smooth his hair. “Good for you.”

* * *

Time passed and he was 20, and happier than ever, swimming with manatees, and dolphins, and sharks and rays and multitudes of fish with colours he only thought possible in dreams, when Atlantica Oceanarium finally found the need for a new leader.

All the employees of the oceanarium were there in the atrium where _The Little Mermaid_ used to show—the outdoor one, right next to the sea, where their female orca, Minnie, had her enclosure all to herself. Sora stood with the animal trainer team along with his fellow professional merpeople swim buddies, when he saw the star of the show, Ariel, stand up on the dry land part of the stage to address the people.

Demyx, his then-trainer at the time, elbowed him. “What’d you think _this_ is for?” he hissed at him, and Sora could only shrug.

“Everyone, it’s been wonderful working with you,” Ariel had begun to speak into a microphone, and the hushed whispers of the people died into silence. “Swimming with my team and handling the animals and meeting people had been wonderful with you all for all my years at the park.”

Demyx let out a whoop, and applauded, and Sora, laughing, followed suit as the rest of the people began to applaud as well. Ariel smiled, chuckling as she waved at him and Demyx, before letting the applause die down again.

“Thank you.” She nodded gracefully. “I know there have been rumours circulating that I was going to retire,” she began, and Demyx shared a look with Sora.

“Always jumps to the topic, doesn’t she?” he grinned, and Sora grinned back weakly, as Ariel spoke up again.

“I’d like to say that, in a way, that is true.” Ariel continued, and the crowd burst into murmurs amongst itself. “Yes, I know it’s a little shocking, but as you all know, my father, the current CEO of Atlantica, is now going to retire. I will be retiring from my swimming to take his place in his stead as CEO.”

The crowd burst into applause and she nodded gracefully, and she began again when it died down. “So, there will be no more shows of _The Little Mermaid_ , and, for now, this atrium will retire from accommodating people until something new will come along.” She cleared her throat for a moment, before beginning again. “But the merpeople attraction will stay in the park, as is the known tradition of Atlantica. I won’t take that away from you, nor the people coming here to see both the animals and the people.”

She said a few more things, things Sora didn’t remember very well, but after all that was over, Ariel faced her merpeople team, smiling wistfully as she talked to them all.

What she said at the end stuck with Sora even long after she left.

“I’m expecting great things from you, Sora,” she had said, squeezing his shoulder. “Make me proud.”

* * *

Years passed and he was 22, and now the lead merman of his little team of 5 merpeople. It wasn’t bad, and he didn’t have a show, but Sora didn’t mind.

So long as he could see the wide-eyed look of children looking at him just like he had when he first met Ariel as he talked to them about the animals and how to take care of the ocean.

He was doing what he loved, and it was all that mattered.

And Sora was happy.


	2. Prologue - Riku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The earliest thing he can remember of Mickey was how scared he had been, how his heart raced as large jaws parted and warm water rushed out over his pale skin._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part 2 of 2 of the initial upload haha b y e;;;

The first thing he remembered of the sea was how green it was. How lively it was. How it stung his eyes more than it caressed them, how it seemed so endless and vast and yet so small, how it was so strong to leave him with nothing and give him his everything in his sad, lonely little life.

The earliest thing he can remember of Mickey was how scared he had been, how his heart raced as large jaws parted and warm water rushed out over his pale skin.

The first time he held Mickey’s pectoral fin he had been 7, out boating on his own in a private little pocket he called his own paradise in the tiniest nook off the coast of Destiny Islands. Mickey had been tiny, considering other calves like him, only just about twice his size, but still large enough to make him wary as he approached. Mickey had been stranded on the beach, whining pitifully with a tiny voice unlike its sheer size, fins flapping weakly against the yellow smooth sand Destiny Islands was famous for. The sight of such a large creature there, at the mercy of the world, left him spellbound even as he carefully approached it, hand shaking as he laid it gently on damp skin.

It whined pitifully at him, and he laughed a little weakly. “Nice to meet you,” he said, “My name is Riku.”

The orca turned its eye to look at him, brown eyes pleading, and he realised that the orca couldn’t move. He looked down to see a large, bleeding gash down the side of the orca’s body, and his eyes widened, time slowing down in his head to the singular moment of feeling blood— _life_ —bleed onto his small fingertips.

Far away, the world continued around them. But not here, not in that moment when Riku decided he would protect this creature, protect it fully just as it enchanted him with its gaze.

Time passed and he didn’t know of it, spending many an afternoon by the healing orca’s side, changing the bandages and feeding it the fish he caught himself, telling it stories and petting it and watching it swim slowly and weakly as he sketched it in his sketchbook as he sat on the shore, uncaring if his shorts were getting wet.

Before he knew it he was 15, valedictorian; a young genius at the top of his class, and soon, it was time for him to graduate.

He was quick to rush to tell his best friend the news that he was finally free and maybe could spend more time with him now, but there was suddenly no one to talk to.

One day, in an island only Riku knew, Mickey the orca disappeared.

* * *

“Riku?” her voice drifted into his room through the slightly ajar door. “Riku, do you want to talk about it?”

“What is there to talk about?” he snapped back, and she winced as she could hear the thud of a pillow hitting the door. “Go away, Aqua.”

She sighed, and shut the door behind her, looking up at her boyfriend worriedly, who sighed and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

“Terra, I can’t bear watching him sulk like this,” she quietly told him, casting a longing glance at the door. “If he’d just tell me what happened.”

“How are you even sure that something happened?” Terra asked, picking at the lapels of his polo, still creased from moving around after the festivities of Riku’s graduation. “Maybe his sulky-sad-teenage phase just started late.”

“ _Terra_ ,” Aqua sighed exasperatedly, “Riku isn’t like that.”

The brunet shrugged. “How would you know?”

“Terra, he’s my brother.”

“Ahh, well…” Terra looked lost for a moment, before trying again. “Maybe someone broke up with him?”

Aqua’s eyes widened. “Riku’s not in a relationship with anyone.”

“You never know what’s up with him. He’s never around during the afternoons anyway, he might be hanging out with someone.”

Aqua cast a glance at the door and bit her lip. “Maybe.”

“We should follow him when he heads out.”

“Terra!” she scolded, but he shrugged.

“Aqua, it’s the only way we’re going to find out.”

She frowned, but eventually sighed and nodded. “Alright, _fine_. When—no, _if_ he comes out.” She sternly said, looking at him firmly, before pushing him away. “In the meantime, let’s give him his space.”

* * *

Days passed and Riku missed Mickey. Missed the orca harder than anything he ever had in his life.

Looking at the sketches in his book, he sighed, and decided to head back out to the small little pocket of paradise he shared with Mickey. Even if he _was_ there or not, at least it would give Riku room to breathe, and maybe consider where to go for college for four years.

He made it to the small shore to find it empty as the day Mickey left. Sighing, he sat down at the shore, slipping off his slippers and dipping his feet into the water, looking down at the clear water, watching the sand slip between his toes.

“I miss you, Mickey.” He told the water, splashing it lightly with a small flick of his wrist. It had been what he used to catch Mickey’s attention, and he absently began to whistle a few notes here and there into the ocean wind rushing past his face, tossing his hair gently as if to comfort him in his time of loneliness.

He had read up on orcas since day one. He knew they used sound and hand signals to communicate, but he didn’t know what signals trainers used for their orcas. Instead he had made his own set of signals—a few Mickey himself contributed to by reacting to whatever little thing Riku did specifically.

It had been something they enjoyed doing together. Riku didn’t care for much when it came to friends, but he and Mickey were something akin to best friends, and frankly, he didn’t mind. Mickey was enough.

Nothing was happening as he whistled, and he stopped, his whistling dropping into a sigh.

“Why did you go?” he asked the wind again, splashing the water again, as if Mickey was right there to—

A call broke through the crashing of the waves and the whispering of the wind and Riku’s eyes widened.

He completely froze, disbelieving, straining to hear the sound, but after a long moment he could hear nothing.

He tried the call again.

Another call rang through the air, and a smile broke out across Riku’s face as he shot up to his feet, running into the water, as he whistled, loud and hard, for Mickey to surface.

He stopped when the water was up to his waist, just as metres away from him, water jetted straight up and Mickey jumped into the air, chittering happily. Riku’s laugh was drowned out by the sound of rushing water as Mickey returned into the water.

The teen rushed forward, swimming as fast as he could to meet up with his best friend, who gleefully let him climb on, swimming sedately as Riku hugged him tightly.

“I thought you left me.” He told Mickey, and the orca whistled back. Laughing as he wiped at his water-blurred eyes. “I didn’t know what to do when you disappeared. Were you looking for fish?” he made the sign he used for fish, and Mickey responded with clicks. He laughed, lightly smacking the orca’s dorsal fin. “You big dummy,” he laughed, hugging it again. “You’re such a big dummy.”

Mickey simply continued swimming gently, allowing Riku to hug him as he went.

In an alcove behind a tree, Aqua and Terra smiled at each other, and left.

Everything was alright, and that was all that mattered.

And Riku was happy.


	3. A Proposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Do we have an agreement, my boy?”_   
>  _Riku sighed, and nodded reluctantly. “For Mickey’s sake.”_   
>  _"Of course," Yen Sid grinned knowingly. “For Mickey’s sake.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehe so here's the legit chapter 2  
> please enjoy yen sid being a total douchebag  
> also wow riku is a total recluse???? god bless aqua for putting up with this boy

“Riku, Doctor Yen Sid wants to talk to you.” Aqua called, walking into the hall and up to the pool to find that it was empty of both orca and trainer. She paused for a moment, before laughing, shaking her head as she headed to the far wall where she saw Mickey poorly hiding his trainer between his body and the wall. She put her arms akimbo, grinning. “Gee, I _wonder_ where Riku is?” she asked out loud, and Mickey responded with a few whistles in succession.

“Riku, stop using Mickey as an avoidance technique,” she deadpanned, shaking her head as she walked around the pool to see her little brother making his way underneath Mickey to hide from her. “Riku!” she yelled, but the silver-haired man ignored her. She rolled her eyes, as she signed for Mickey to roll over.

The orca did as he was told, bringing Riku up with him as his belly hit the surface, the silver-haired man glaring at her as Mickey backed down from beneath him to let him float on his own as the orca righted itself up.

“Good boy,” Aqua cooed at Mickey, signing at him fish was incoming, and the orca opened its mouth welcomingly to the morsel Aqua tossed into his mouth. “Riku, please. Go to Doctor Yen Sid’s office. He wants to talk to you.”

“I really don’t want to.” He replied, treading water to talk to her. “I know it’s about Mickey.”

Aqua crossed her arms. “And, for some odd reason, you don’t want to go.” She stated a-matter-of-factly, her brow creasing as Riku shot her an exasperated look. “Riku, if you knew it was for Mickey’s sake, then why are you avoiding all this?”

“Mickey’s getting big,” Riku said instead, and Aqua opened her mouth to tell her brother off, when Riku continued, “Pretty soon this enclosure isn’t going to be big enough for him.” He said it so quietly that Aqua had to strain her ears to hear over the gentle lapping of water against Mickey as he swam sedately in the water. “What if he makes me release Mickey? He can’t live out in the wild on his own anymore.” Riku spoke up louder this time, looking at her, looking as lost as he had all those years ago when Aqua first learned of Mickey’s existence.

For a moment she saw the little boy on the shore, looking out at the sea, thinking of what he had lost, and she sighed. She took off her shoes, and sat down at the edge of the pool, dipping her bare feet in the water as she beckoned him closer.

Riku, thankfully, obeyed her and swam to her, sighing deeply as he rested his head on her lap. He was getting her shorts wet, but she didn’t mind, as she stroked his saltwater-wet hair, carding her fingers through the silver locks to untangle any knots in them.

“Doctor Yen Sid knows better than to separate the two of you.” She told him reassuringly, “Remember the last time something like that happened? Guy quit his job two weeks in.”

Riku snorted a little at that, and she smiled a little.

“Maybe he wants to talk to you about moving to a bigger enclosure?” Aqua ventured, and in her lap, Riku responded with a half-hearted shrug. “Well… I don’t know how that will be possible here in the park. This is the biggest enclosure we have already.”

“Exactly.” Riku replied bitterly, still not looking at her. “I really think he’s going to make me go away.”

“Oh, Riku.” Aqua sighed, stroking his hair, “You never know. For now, let’s just do what we always do, okay?” she asked, and Riku grunted his reply. Aqua patted his head, “Let’s get the routine check-up over and done with.” She declared, signing for Mickey to approach them, but the orca didn’t react to her command. “Hah, Riku, look at him. He doesn’t listen to me sometimes too.”

Riku finally lifted his head to grin at her. “Can’t say I didn’t have a say in that.” He chuckled, as he signed for Mickey to come over to them, and the orca immediately obeyed. Aqua rolled her eyes as Riku pushed off the wall to reunite with Mickey. “You got a tape measure on you?”

Aqua nodded, pulling out the large tape measure from the bag she had with her and tossed it Riku’s way. He caught it easily and had Mickey hold one end of it in his mouth, before swimming to Mickey’s other end to measure his length.

“4.78m.” He declared, and Aqua scribbled it down in a small notepad from inside the bag. “At this rate Mickey’s gonna outgrow this enclosure by the end of the year.” He sighed, gathering the tape measure up into the pulley.

“That’s why I’m saying you need to go see Doctor Yen Sid, Riku,” she piped up. “I know you’re not the type to like interacting with people, but face it, little brother, people _do_ exist and you need to talk to them.” She paused, and grinned. “You’re 23, Riku, suck it up.”

Riku regarded her for a moment, before sighing, nodding as he patted Mickey one last time before heading to where Aqua was. “Alright, fine.” He agreed, pulling himself out of the water, wiping off excess water off his rash guard with one hand as he handed the tape measure back to his sister. “I’m not guaranteeing to agree with what he’s going to say, though.”

Aqua laughed, shaking her head fondly as she watched her brother make his way to the changing rooms.

“I know. Thanks for trying, anyway!” she called after him, but she only heard the sound of the door slam shut in response.

* * *

“Finally,” was the first word Yen Sid said the moment Riku closed the door behind him. The young man frowned at him as he sat down, arms crossed.

“No guarantees on a yes,” Riku shot back, crossing one leg over the other. “What do you want to do with Mickey this time?”

“Nothing terrible, I assure you,” Yen Sid replied coolly, as he slid a folder on his desk in front of him towards Riku. “Mickey has been a valuable resident here at Destiny Islands Wildlife Park.” He began, as Riku picked up the folder to see photographs of Mickey, himself and his sister during their shows with the orca and the other resident dolphins. “However, it has come to my attention that Mickey may soon outgrow his enclosure.”

“The latest measurement I took had him at nearly 4.8m.” Riku reported, and Yen Sid nodded slowly, leaning back in his seat.

“Exactly.” The man nodded, as Riku set the photographs aside to see a print-out of a company agreement between this park and…

“Atlantica Oceanarium?” Riku read the title, peering at Yen Sid as the man nodded sagely.

“The park here, while the facilities are of an assured quality, may not be able to support Mickey any more should he grow any longer than 5 metres.” The man said slowly, eyeing Riku as the trainer sat back in his seat, his brow creasing as he talked. “However, Atlantica Oceanarium has offered to allow the transfer of Mickey to larger, better enclosure.” There was a twinkle in the old man’s eye that Riku could clearly see, but couldn’t place, as he paused for a moment to cough daintily before continuing. “Not to mention he may be in the company of others like him?”

Riku paused. “What do you mean?”

“Atlantica Oceanarium has another orca in its premises.” Yen Sid gestured at the print-out in Riku’s hands. “A female, by the name of Minnie. She may be a good interactive companion for Mickey, am I correct?”

Riku stared intently at the photograph of the orca on the print-out, frowning. “Yeah, I guess.” He sighed, “But Doctor, I can’t leave Mickey—”

“I can make arrangements for you to live in the area near the oceanarium.” Yen Sid offered, “You, of course, will work there instead of here, training and caring for Mickey, and as well as possibly start up your own show with him.” The man paused to look through some papers on his desk as Riku stared at him, wide-eyed, transfixed at what the man said.

His own show?

“Ah, yes.” Yen Sid looked at a paper. “I understand you do shows with your sister and Mickey, but there in Atlantica they do not have a show currently for orcas. You alone can do well enough, I think.”

“Sir, I—”

“Of course, that won’t really have to happen,” the old man cut in, “It all still depends on Atlantica, but I suppose if you voice out your vehement protest to this,” he gestured at Riku’s horrified expression, “For God knows what reason, then I am quite sure they are able to listen to you.” He turned his attention back to Riku’s folder. “In the meantime, what is important is Mickey’s transfer to Atlantica. Are you willing for this to proceed or not? You should know, of all people, how terrible it is for orcas to live in spaces too small for them.”

Yen Sid helped Riku shut his folder, and looked right into his eyes.

“You know what is best for Mickey.” He said firmly, “And I am very sure you do not want to see him suffer as he did when you first met him.”

Riku’s mind returned to the day he felt Mickey’s blood on his hands, and he winced, closed his eyes and shook his head.

“Do we have an agreement, my boy?”

Riku sighed, and nodded reluctantly. “For Mickey’s sake.”

"Of course," Yen Sid grinned knowingly. “For Mickey’s sake.”


	4. Start Somewhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“This is your script.” She said. “Your starter script with your show with Mickey.”  
>  Riku blinked at her, and she shrugged, still grinning. “We all have to start somewhere.” She pressed, and Riku slowly considered it, before nodding, a tiny smile crossing his lips.  
> “You’re the best, Aqua.” He sighed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was hit with influenza for a week???????? wow  
> kingdom hearts kept me through it and now here it is  
> kairi is in the next chapter not this one haha;;;;;;  
> sora is i think in the one after that  
> the pace is so slow it's just as slow as me running from my responsibilities 
> 
> Also throwing this out here--the reason why riku's such a recluse is that, let's face it, he fuckgin is i mean come on don't think he won't have any other friends wihtout sora's involvement and here in this fic all he has is an orca how is that goign to bring him friends he can't fucking talk to people this is the greatest decision i have made in my life

“Aqua, I don’t want to go.” Riku said for the tenth time, as Aqua simply hummed, folding the last of Riku’s clothes and putting them into the young man’s luggage bag. “ _Aqua_.”

“Riku, you’ll be fine.” She assured him, smiling as she kissed his hair, earning her a scowl and a dismissive hand wave. She laughed, and dodged him, as she sat on his study table to look at his nearly-empty room. “Mickey will be fine, and you know if he will be, so will you.”

“Aqua, I’ll be living in the mainland. Alone. Away from home.”

“Why do you think I’ve been training you to cook and clean?” She asked simply, and Riku shook his head.

“No, I don’t mean it like I can’t live on my own, I can’t—I can’t do this whole people thing, Aqua, you know that!” he looked down at his hands, scowling. “I can’t even do our show without you.”

“Precisely why that show is _ours_ , Riku.” She smiled, getting up to sit down next to him on his bed. She peered into his face and he frowned back at her. “But now, this is _yours_. You can do anything you like! You can tell the world how wonderful Mickey is, how amazing the things he can do are, how… precious he is to you and the world.”

“I can’t _talk_ , that’s the thing.” Riku deadpanned. “I can’t do this show if I don’t know what to say!”

“Well, you said you might _not_ do a show.” She frowned for a moment, and he sighed and shook his head.

“Yeah, well, I’m expecting the worst.” He told her, “And besides, what good can Mickey and I do hanging around there doing nothing? I’ll probably end up having to do one on my own, and _then_ what? What if management thinks since I can’t do it, then they’ll get someone else to handle Mickey instead of me?”

“Riku, shhh.” Aqua softly told him, pinching his cheek lightly. “Don’t worry too much. You’re a natural. You’re a genius! You’re a biological science graduate.” She winked. “You’ll know what to say.”

He frowned, and slouched, and she regarded him for a moment, before laughing loudly, surprising him into jolting against her side.

“What was that for?” he demanded, as she hugged him close tightly. “Aqua!”

“You’re going to grow old super-fast if you don’t stop frowning.” She grinned, “But you know, you look so much younger when you’re sulking like that. I suddenly remember those days when you lost Mickey, and you looked exactly like that!”

Riku flushed and squirmed out of her grip. “Aqua,” he began threateningly, when she smiled at him softly and cupped his cheek in her hand.

“You’re going away soon. You’ve grown up so much.” She gently said, gently pinching his cheek before lowering her hand. “And, you know, Riku, you taking this step is making me really happy. It’s giving you a chance to come back to the world, now on your own, without me there to talk to people for you.”

“Aqua, you know I can’t do the whole ‘interacting-with-people’ thing.”

“Yeah, I know.” She looked at him, a determined twinkle in her eyes. “But you can try.” She got up and looked around for a pen and a notebook, hurriedly picked them up and sat back down next to Riku. “And you can start with this.” She said, holding them out for him to take.

“Aqua, I can talk just fine?” Riku cocked his head, as his sister laughed and shook her head.

“Not like that, silly.” She pressed the pen in his hand onto the paper. “This is your script.” She said. “Your starter script with your show with Mickey.”

Riku blinked at her, and she shrugged, still grinning. “We all have to start somewhere.” She pressed, and Riku slowly considered it, before nodding, a tiny smile crossing his lips.

“You’re the best, Aqua.” He sighed.

“Aren’t I.” she softly said, kissing his hair, before hugging him close to her, their shoulders bumping. “Now, where do we start with…?”

* * *

“So we’re going to be moving Mickey using this custom-made harness Yen Sid had me get made the moment you agreed,” Terra explained to him as the two of them treaded water at Mickey’s flanks. “He’s gonna go in there nice and slowly, don’t worry, and there are two holes up front where his pectoral fins are going into.” The brunet gestured at the holes he was talking about and Riku nodded. “My team will secure him while you keep him calm, and then we’ll get one of my guys over there to lift the guy up to his hammock.”

“Make sure it’s filled with water.” Riku told him sternly, and Terra laughed.

“Aye-eye, captain. Already sorted that out, don’t worry.” He assured him. “Anyway, we’ll keep the harness on him and we’ll take him outside to his container, straight to the boat to the mainland.”

Riku nodded, looking grave, and Terra chuckled fondly. He swam over to Riku’s side and squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll be extremely careful, and you’ll be with him all the way.”

“Thanks.” Riku replied, and Terra gave him a thumbs-up.

“Alright, let’s get this whale out of here!”

“Actually, he’s a dolphin,” Riku cut in, grinning a little, and Terra scoffed.

“Semantics.” He simply replied, “Guys, let’s get this guy in and loaded!”

A few men in rash guards slipped into the water, as Terra nodded at Riku to swim to Mickey’s front. He breathed deeply, and patted the orca’s snout.

“Time to move, Mickey,” he gently told him, earning him a small whistle in reply, and he slowly moved backward as he whistled for Mickey to follow him.

Aqua watched them gently coax Mickey into the harness and smiled to herself, clutching the handle of Riku’s luggage with one hand and holding onto three tickets with the other. Excitement was bubbling inside her as Mickey was gently secured onto the harness.

It had been quite a while since she went to the mainland. Maybe she and Riku could go look at Atlantica before she went back to Destiny Islands.

She had missed the mermaids most of all—was Ariel still running her show, she wondered, as Terra called out to lift Mickey out of the water. Her train of thought stopped for a moment as she saw Riku scramble to get out of the pool and follow after Mickey as he was settled into his hammock. She giggled at the sight as she walked over to Riku, who was still fussing over the orca while Terra left to go talk with the guy in the crane, grumbling something that sounded like “damn kid not being careful enough”, or whatnot.

“Riku, you fretting over Mickey is really something to see.” She said when she approached her brother, who looked a little distressed.

“Mickey dropped too fast into the hammock,” he told her, and she shrugged.

“He looks fine to me.” She said, leaning down to pet Mickey. The orca responded with a happy whistle as Riku petted him as well. “Riku, don’t worry too much. He’ll be fine. You’re there for him.”

“In all honesty I’m really more worried about what’s ahead for me.” Riku confessed, and she shrugged.

“Everyone on their first move-out always is.” She simply said, looking up to see her boyfriend approaching them. “Oh, Terra.”

“Hey, Aqua,” he grinned at her, before turning to Riku. “Alright, yelled at the guy until his ear fell off. You feel a little better?”

Riku nodded mutely, and Terra turned to look at Aqua and grinned, gesturing at him. She giggled, but it quickly dissolved into laughter when Riku scowled and flicked water at Terra.

“Brat can’t take a favour for him.” Terra sighed, as Riku smirked, triumphant. “He’s just like you, Aqua.”

“Like brother, like sister.” She replied, planting a quick kiss on Terra’s cheek before moving back. “I’ll see you at the boat, Riku. I still have to bring in your luggage and get my seat.”

“Thanks!” Riku nodded, and she walked away, giving him a wave as she went.

* * *

“It’s really happening, huh,” Riku said, mostly to himself now, as he swung his feet around in the water next to Mickey’s head. “We’re really leaving Destiny Islands now.”

The orca whistled comfortingly, and Riku grinned, petting Mickey’s snout with his foot. “I mean, come on, look at us. You’re in a hammock in a container full of water and I’m sitting up top of it with my legs in to keep you company.” He paused, and shivered as the ocean wind tossed his hair. “In the ass-crack of dawn.” He managed through grit teeth. “Ugh, it’s cold. Mickey, I’m coming in.” he declared, slipping into the water and snuggling up against the orca.

Mickey clicked happily and Riku grinned as the orca’s warmth seeped into his body.

“Thanks, Mickey.” He said, resting his forehead against the orca’s side.

A moment of silence passed, the sound of water swishing from both the sea beneath them and from Riku’s treading water the only sound audible, when he spoke up again. “From now on, it’ll be just you and me now.” Riku said, stroking Mickey’s side and watching as the water gently lapped against Mickey’s skin and his rash guard. “No Aqua, no Terra… we’ll be working with new people now.”

He smacked Mickey’s side lightly and the orca squirmed a little. “And you, you are getting a new lady friend,” he chuckled, “Who knows, maybe you’ll hit it off with her.” He laughed for a moment, before his smile disappeared from his face as he rested his cheek against Mickey’s side. “Who knows,” his voice dropped into a sad whisper. “Maybe you’ll find someone else you’ll like better than me.” He laughed dryly after a moment, and hugged Mickey. “I’m a sad guy, aren’t I? I don’t really have anyone else but you.”

Mickey didn’t respond—whether he couldn’t or wouldn’t, Riku decided not to think of, but let him stay there that way, clinging onto him like a life line and like a warm teddy bear, much like years before when a young boy thought he had lost his best friend forever.

**Author's Note:**

> well anyway i hope it makes sense to you all haha;;; b y e


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